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DREW
Istepped off the elevator of the high-rise building HypeKey was located in and walked up to the receptionist’s desk. In hindsight, I should’ve checked into a hotel and taken a shower, changed clothes, and generally tried to make myself not look like a deranged person. But my flight had been delayed by two hours, and there were no business hours listed on their website. I’d go insane if I had to wait another day to reach Sadie because I showed up after they were already closed.
“Can I help you?” An older lady with short red hair greeted me with a look full of skepticism.
I ran a hand down my damp, wrinkled shirt to smooth it. I hadn’t checked the weather forecast before I left so I wasn’t prepared for the freezing rain New York greeted me with. “I’m here to see Sadie Davis.”
A pouty frown crossed her face. “Sorry, sir. She’s gone.”
A wave of defeat washed over me, but I straightened my shoulders, reminding myself it wouldn’t actually kill me to wait one more day. Even though it felt like it would. “What time will she be in tomorrow?” I asked.
The woman shook her head. “She won’t. She quit earlier today. Or was fired.” She tapped a long, manicured nail against her chin. “I don’t know. It happened fast and the details are a little fuzzy. She’s no longer employed here.” She nodded, as if she was finally satisfied with the choice of words she used to deliver the blow.
I sank down in a chair in the small waiting area and put my head between my knees, no longer concerned with how crazy I looked.
What was I supposed to do now?
“Sir? Are you all right?”
“No.”
My mind raced. I didn’t make it all the way here just to miss her. If this was the master plan? The universe could suck it.
Although to be fair, my grand gesture hadn’t been that well thought out.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled out my phone then hesitated. It felt like this was something I needed to do in person, not over the phone.
But I wasn’t going to let her slip through my fingers without exhausting every available option. If I could get her to answer the phone, maybe I could convince her to meet me somewhere to talk.
I punched her number and held my breath as the call rang. My brain barely registered the buzzing that came from the receptionist area, in sync with the ringing in my ear.
“HypeKey Media, how can I help you?” The receptionist’s voice echoed through the phone and across the waiting area.
I looked up at her and she gave me a sympathetic look.
“It was a company phone,” she said into Sadie’s phone before hanging up.
I dropped my head back, banging it against the wall behind me a few times. “Son of a bitch.”
“Wait a minute,” the woman said. “You’re him. You’re the guy from the article.”
I lifted my head to look at her. “Yeah,” I sighed. “I’m him.”
“Oh my word.” She placed a hand on her chest, then lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “She didn’t write that article. Not the one they published.”
I popped up and strode over to the desk. Maybe she could help me after all. “I know. But I didn’t figure that out until it was too late.”
“What she wrote—” She stifled a sniffle, then waved her hand in front of her face like she was fighting off tears. “Sorry, it was so…so…vulnerable. You know?”
“Uh…”
“Oh, of course you don’t know. Hold on.” She moved the mouse around on her computer before twisting the giant monitor around to face me. “I saved myself a copy. I knew the boss would hack it to bits before it ever saw the light of day. Much too sincere for her tastes.” She clucked her tongue.
“How do you have this?”
She held her chin up. “I do all the real work around here. Including organizing Eirin’s inbox.”
Breathless, I scanned the words Sadie had intended the world to see, and my heart pumped back to life. Up until this moment I’d been running on the reckless hope I wasn’t misremembering or misinterpreting what we’d shared. That this whole thing had been some big misunderstanding and there was a slim chance she felt half the things I did for her. If that was the case, I could at least try to grovel my way back into her good graces.
Her article—her real article—proved to be so much more than I could have imagined. She waxed poetic about second chances and opening your heart to where, and to whom the universe leads you, even if you think you’re not ready. She talked about overcoming fears and relinquishing old defense mechanisms that no longer served to protect you, but instead were holding you back. On the surface, it was easy to assume she was referring to me with most of this stuff, but Paul was right. Sadie’s distinct tone was clear as a bell in the piece, and she was talking about herself just as much as she was talking about me.
By the time I got to the end, I was a little choked up myself.
I looked up from the monitor. “I have to see her. Can you help me?”
Turning the monitor back to face herself, she looked around to make sure no one was paying attention. Then she clicked her mouse around a bit and grabbed a pad of Post-its.
“I’m going to help you go get your girl,” she said, “but you have to do me a favor.”
